Aegean seals of the Late Bronze Age VI 45

5t BM 97.4*1.4 49 Vlt 204 29 JonN G. YouNcrR 38 Supp. 50 I 169 C 39 195 51 V 401 40 42 52 V 378 AEGEAN SEALS OF THE LATE BRONZE AGE,: 41. v 280 53 VIII 98 STYLISTIC GROUPS 42 VIII 84 54 V 394 43 v 150 55 r 21.0 VI. FOURTEENTH-CENTURYMAINLAND M v 572 56 V 741. AND LATER FOURTEENTH-CENTURYCRE,TAN 4s x"177 57 V 51C) \TORKSHOPS* 46 v 255 58 iX 184 47 v 41,7 59 V 327 48 v 726 60 v 347 Synopsis of Text

+ Introduction In the text the plain citation of Roman and then Arabic numerals tefets to the volumes and catalogued sealsin the A. Late Almond-/Dot-F,ye Groups (p. 58) Corpus der minoischen und mykenischen Siegel (Berlin, 1964ff.). For abbreviations, the Introduction, 1. The Columbia Group see Kadmos 21.,1.982, 104-5. Add: CMS Beiheft 0 : die ktetisch-mykenische Glyptik und ihre 2. 'Ihe Group with Misplaced Forelegs gegenwirtigen Probleme (Boppard 1974) 3. The Group with Crossed Hocks Masters, I : H. Betts and G. Younger, 4. The Group with Wicked Eyes John John "Aegean Sealsof the Late Bronze Age: Masters and \X/orkships.Inttoduction," B. The Island SanctuariesClroup (p.61) Kadmos 27, 1982, 104*121. Masters, II : G. Younget, "Aegean Sealsof the Late Bronze Age: 5. The Central Island SanctuatiesGroup John Masters and Workshops. The First-Generation Minoan Mastets," 6. The Rhodian Hunt Group I(admos 22, 1983, 109-136. Masters, III : G. Younget, 'negean Seals of the Late Bronze Age: Masters 7. The Island SanctuariesGroup: Miscellaneous Seals John and Workshops. The First-Generation Mycenaean Masters," I{admos 23, 1984, C. The Mainland Popular Group (p. 65) 38-64. D. The Fluorite Group (p. 71) Masters/Groups, IV : G. Younger, 'negean Seals of the Late Bronze Age: E. The Stamped LH III C Pithoi from Tiryns, and Class (p. 73) John Stylistic Groups. Almond- and Dot-Eye Gtoups of the Fifteenth Century 8.C.," Kadmos 24, 1,985 Masters/Groups, V : John G. Younger, "Aegean Seals of the Late Btonze Age: lllustrations Stylistic Groups. Minoan Groups of the Early F'ifteenth Century B.C.", Kadmos 25, 1986. A1 1 r79 B 5 t9 t26 Papapostolou 1977 : l.A. Papapostolou, Th Sphtagismataton Khanion (Bibliotheke , AGDS lI Berlin 48 20 I Supp.58 tes en Athenais Archaiologikes Hetaireias no. 7, Athens 1977). 3 Univ. of Missouri 57.8 27 v 221. Pini 1980 : l. Pini, "I(ypto-Aglische Rollsiegel,"JDI 95, 1980,77-108. 4 300 22 v 499 Rcnftew 1985 : C. Renfrew, Phylakopi. The Archaeology of Cult. Chapter 7 publishes 5 121. 23 v 500 the sealstonesin the Melos Museum. 6 262 24 IX 191 Srvignoni 1,904 : L. Savignoni, "Scavi e scoperte nella necropoli di Phaestos," 7 Supp.56 25 XIII 12 MonAntichi 14 1904\ 501-666. 8 v 597 26 MelosMus. 571 'l'hc drawings in Figures 1-8 ate numbered consecutively,and are cited in bold face, 9 VII 111 ,1 Melos Mus. 576 l, 2, etc. The reader is cautioned that the figutes constitute solely an aide,m6moire 10 vil 1.1,2 28 r 139 to the stylistic features; more detailed understanding is given by the primary and t1 AGDS I Munich 70a 29 v 600 stcondary publications cited in the text. ( t2 AGDS I Munich 70b 30 r 171 )rrcc again I wish to thank Dr Ingo Pini for his permission to use the drawings t3 AGDS II Bedin 38 31 v 313 nr:r

6l x236 73 X 209 At the present time, no iater groups can be recognized with confi- 62 AGDS I Munich 24 74 V 224 dence.The eighty or so Pylos sealingsl,which form the latest major 75 V 397 63 X 200 collection of seal-types from a dated atchaeoiogical context (ca. 1220 64 r 472 76 V 156 B.C.), almost entirely attributed to the IS or MP Groups and 65 X 1,92b 77 vll 194 can be 66 Sealfrom EPidauros 78 V 164 their predecessors,both Cretan and Mainland; the unattibuted Pyios 67 X 193 79 V 372 sealings Me aII too poorly pteserved for us to appreciate in detail the v 410 68 X 196 80 style of the seal which impressed them. 165 81 V 343 69 V At the moment it is difficult to discern a style later than the IS and 70 v 407 82 V 390 7t v 618 83 v 388 MP Groups for one major and practical reason. !7ith the formulation 72 V 371 84 V34 of the three groups presented in this article there are, apart from the Thlismanic and the Cut Style seals,few Late Bronze Age Aegean seals now left to be attributed. In our first article we estimated a total of This article treats the stage of Aegean Bronze Age glyptic that 4711 extant LB sealtypes,2again omitting the'falismanics and the Cut- art- appears, on the strength of Present evidence, to have been this Style pieces. The estimate is rough, and even if it vrere even only foi*,, final accomplishment. On the Mainland only a few mastets approximately such a number would be misleading, sincemany ^ccrxare succeededthe Almond-/Dot-Eye aftists of the crystal Ring Group, of those sealsare worn, illegible, or unique, and therefore difficult to sealscontem- Running calves, and contorted Bulls, and theseproduced assessstyiistically; JGY's working files in Durham, NC consistof more poraneo.rsly with the Spectacle-EyeGroup at I{nossos (see Masters/ than 3100 legible seal-typesof the total 4711. Of this working total, 'Groop, v;. wtrlte lanky proportions and unerasedtool-marks afe tfaits approximately 220 seals (7%) and 434 (14o/o)sealings, totalling 654, common to both the Mainland and Cretan aftists in the first quaftef of now (after this article) remain unattributed to groups, Iargely because, the fourteenth century, the I{nossians dclighted in confident, symmetri- as in the caseof the majority of the sealspublished in CMCG, they are cai compositions ani the unerased marks of both tubular and solid not well illustrated. In any case,of these approximatelv 654 seal-types, drills; the Mainlanders, however, continued to concentrate on torsional 434 come from contexts dated no later than III Bii; thus, only the poses like the bull regardant, paratactic compositions like bull-leaping remaining 220 (7% of the total 3100) that come from undated contexts, ursistunts,and awkrvard modelling which, in confotmity with the ()r contexts dated later than III Bii, could serve as candidatesfot styles -ithsmooth modeliing of Spectacle-Eyeanimals, had become plastic, dry, later than the IS, MP, or Fluorite Groups. and tisht. There are so few seals,thetefore, whose style couid conceivabiy be In lhe second half of the fourteenth century B. C. only one figural later than the fourteenth century, that the author, left with'basically no 'fhe glyptic group can be discerned in . Group with the Wicked rnore sealsto attribute to stylistic groups, has come to the'inescapable Ey.r .o.rirti almost exclusively of steatiteseals that draw their inspira- <:onclusion that the IS Group presents stylistically the last circie of tion, not from their immediate predecessotsat , but archaisti- irrtists who engraved hard-stoneseals, and that the MP and Fluorite cally, perhaps, from Dot-/Almond-Eye styles. !1r'()upscorrstitute stylistically the last sealsin soft stones. t" itri. same period, however, three maior groups of seals can be lf this conclusion be correct, then it might be appropriate here to identified outside Crete: the lsland SanctuariesGroup (hereafter,the IS slrcculatebriefly on the possible reasons for such an eady and rather Group) which consists of eiegant animals in hard stones; the Fluorite :;trclclenend to the major art-form of seal engraving. Throughout the Grorrp'of sealsmade from softer, almost tfanspafent fl_uoritedecorated l,rrrghistory of Aegean seals,from the Neolithic pintaderasto the iate with crrt geometric motifs; and the Mainland Popular Group (hereafter, l()rrrteenthcentury B.C., their ePonymous sphragistic function has the MP Group) of steatiteseals cafryiflg schematicaliytendered quadru- ;rttrrirllyalways been an important but a secondaryconcetn. Though peds and geometric designs. The earliest archaeological contexts for that all three L"mb"rs nf th."" groups date to III Aii, suggesting Nl:rslcrs l: I l6 fh. 3{). ^11 flourished within the second haif of this century. Nlrrsttrs l: Il2 Il3 th. 21 48 John G. YounpJer Aegean sealsof the Late Bronze Age VI 49 there are several grouPs of seal-typesand seal-shapesthat were devel- other sealswere made possible by, createdamong, and intended for the oped specifically for sphragistic functions (e. g., the Lerna sealings V palacebureaucrats and their retinues4,in order primarily to adorn them 43-L1,9, the MM class of the rectangular prism with hieroglvphic suitably as befitted their exalted station, and secondarily to provide inscriptions, and the Kato Zakro sealings made mostly by a single them with a tool for their business.The palacesallocated gold, silver, workshop and reflecting specializedseals many of which were probabiv and imported semi-preciousstones fot the artists to use in making the bifacial), the primary decorative purpose of seals can be documented highly ornamental metal rings and stone seals, many of vrhich are at every stage of the glyptic development: the Lerna designs and further enhanced with gold mountings afld set off by gold or crystal the one EB seal-type (V 478) with sctipt, though affecting Egyptian bead bracelets;the palacesalso allotted the artists their workshop space, hieroglyphs, are better suited, in theit repetition of pattern or in their thereby incorporating them physically within the palace otg niz tion.s whimsy, to decorating household objects like the l{eos hearth-rlms In turn, nobles and bureaucrats paid tribute to the artistic merits of (..g., V 461,, 463-468, and 474); the Phaistos, Ayia Ti'iada, last these sealstoneswhen they collected them and wore them to the grave I(nossos, and Pylos sealing-depositsare so heterogenous, riot only in instead of handing them over to successors.6 the types of designs but also in the variety of shapesand kinds of seals In the Early Brcnze Age both Mainlanders and Cretans combined used, that it is difficult to imagine that the seal-impresserwas much the primary purpose of seal-stonesas personal adornments and marks concerned about a seal's sphragistic appropriateness;and the llmited of status with their secondary sphragistic function; the Minoans devel- and repetitive repertory of animals and p<-rseson the Late Bronze Age oped this duality in the MM period, and bequeathed it to the Myce- seals implies that they were not primarily developed to identify their naeans.There is noth enough evidence from the Mainland, however, to ov/ners or to distinguish buteaucratic functions. \fhile only a few ascertainwhether the Mycenaeanswhole-heartedly endorsed this dual shapes,like the petschaft or the hard-stone lentoid with conical reverse, use; they certainly ptovided workshops, commissioned seals,imported might have been specificallydesigned for impressing clay sealings,most not only the sealsbut, apparently, also their artists from Ctete, wore impressing, as the many poorly seal-shapesare not well suited for clear these seals as iewelry, and collected them. There are, however, few or incompletely impressed sealingstestify (e. g., the Tiryns seaiing, AA sealings extant from the Mainland; except for those from Pylos, we 1.919,383-4, fig. 4). The main concern in sealing an object, therefore, lrave six archive sealings from Mycenae (I 1.9,163, 165; V 594-596), was not the design imprinted but the act itself of imprinting; even an and sevenimpressed stoppers for stirrup-iars from Mycenae (I 160-162, unegravedring (AT 1) would dt-'.1 164), Tiryns (AA 1979, 383-4, fig. 4), Thebes (V 669), and the Mene- Sfhile the artist may not have had predominantly in mind the laion (BSA 16,1909-191,0,4-11,). sphragistic function of sealswhen he made them, he certainly had in It seemspossible to say, therefore, that, however much the Myce- mind the influential nature of their future owners. Except for the CP nneans accepted the sphragistic function of seals, they had not been and MP Groups, and perhaps a few others like the Fluorite Group, ali schooled by the Minoans for very long in this tradition when Knossos <'c,asedfunctioning as an artistic center. This destruction not only rcsulted in the loss there of artistic studios, of a palatial supplier of seal- 3 The act of sealing seemsto have mai.ntainedits importance over the seal-fotm ot and semi-preciousmaterials, and of a sophisticated,powerful, in Greek lrrc'cious type throughout-Hellenic history. Manv Roman papyri from Egypt record ti," trn.r.f.i".,.. of plots of property (usually teferred to as 'sphragides', interestingly enough); thesetransactions ate alwnys attestedby an apptopriate.number.of witnesses, I l'lrc appatently agate sealstone on the left wrist of the Cup-Beater might imply that tecorded .u.h i""lirg the document with his signet ting, the motif of which is duly lrc was not only a bearer of rhyta in processions but perhaps also held some in for proper"identification. one such papyfus (PTurner 16.12-1.4) ftom Mouchis l,Lrreaucraticposition, such as sctibe. Egyptisdatedca.220B.c.Thesctiberecotdsthatthesenderislsummoningtestimonv A scalstoneworkshop is knovzn for MM Mallia (II 2.86-198), and one each is implied his ring; frl* t*o witnesses in a ttial and that he began to seal the document with lrrr linossos (BSA 74, 1979,258-268) and Mycenae (ArchEph 1897,"121'n. 1); a stone- butwhenthesctibeappatentlynoticedthatthesendethadnoting,hecrossed

I l./\l)l\l()S XX\11 Aegean sealsof the Late Bronze Age VI .fI 50 John G. Younger

12 10 &+ W 14 6\ s W w 17 16 /G\ m, I M:t4R) 18 192 oV

Fig. 1 Fig.2 1-5: Columbia Gtoup 10*14: Group with CtossedHocks (cont.) \X/icked 6*8: Group with Misplaced Fotelegs 15*18: Group with Eyes 9: Group with Crossed Hocks 19,20: Central Island SanctuariesGroup Aegean sealsof the Late Bronze Age VI 53 5Z John G. Younger

,& \@ 26 27(M -@

28 37

Fig. 3 Fig. 4 21,-29: Centd Island SanctuariesGroup (cont.) 31-38: Rhodian Hunt Group (cont.) 30: Rhodian Hunt Group 39: Mainland Populat Gtoup Aegean sealsof the Late Bronze Age VI 55 54 John G. Younger

554

,^ //, M, W

Fig. 5 52-63: Mainland Popular Group (cont.) 40-51: Mainland Populat Group (cont.) Aegean sealsof the Late Bronze Age VI 57 56 John G. Younger

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WW\-..< / \_,__---l ffi\!v;? 79 81 72

a2 @:' 73 71 Fig. 8 75-80: MainlandPopulat Group (cont.) Fig. 7 81-83: FluoriteGroup 64-74: Mainland Popular Group (cont') 84: StampedLH III C Pithosfrom Tiryns 58 John G. Younger Aegean sealsof the Late Bronze Age VI 59 and wealthy clientele, but it also stemmed the highly-developed Cretan I 79 (1) from Mycenae T. 44; AGDS lI llerlin 48 {27 from Corinth; and University impulse itself for making sealsand other art-obiects. ot Missouri at Columbia 57.8 (3) said to havc been found at Phigaleia | from Nlycenae T. 47 For one or tu/o geflerations, seals continued to be made, but they Close: 82 N'rar, a subgroup: I300 (4) from Pylos (IIl Bii-Ci); and V 630 from Chalandtitsa were made exclusively for Mycenaeans whose bureaucratic need for (rrrc)? new sealshad not been confirmed by krng habit; we might expect this (;ontemporary:I 121 (5) from Mycenae T. 86 need, therefore, to weaken without the support and impetus for that art-form, both of which traditionally came from Crete. The palatial Mycenaeansseem to have made do with the sealsat hand, as the Pylos 2. The Group with Misplaced Forelegs the humbler folk decked themselvesout with the sealingsdemonstrate; (ca.1400-1375 ts.C.) cheap and easily-carvedMP sealsand dedicated the finer gems, most by then abeady antique, to their gods, as the late deposits of sealstones A stylistic hin to the Columbia Group, this group uses the same in sanctuariesdemonsl rate.- lrody type, bulky but elongated,and the harsh shoulder, but it also Surely the demise of seal-engraving in the late fourteenth century r rrrtinues e rliet traits like the thickened upper foreleg, the profiie line B. C. was occasionedand accompanied by other phenomena. As other ,rrr its most impressiveseal V 597, and the divided upper hindleg on art-forms, like stone-vasecarving and faience manufacture, may have \ 320. A Spectacleeye appearson the Perati seal I Supp. 56. The ceased, we may imagine pictorial vase-painters striding quickly to l loup's most distinctive trait is that the forelegs of the far animal are assume the responsibility for representationalism; perhaps fresco- 1',,sitionedtoo far forward. painters faltered for a while when they realizedthat their glyptic sources for new compositions and quickly-developing styles had faded away. | 262 (6) from I{ambos; I Supp. 56 (7) ftom Perati T. 142 (lIl Ci); V 597 (8) from the Idols (III Bii); X 320; XIII 18; and AGDS lI Berlin 50 Such relationships between the maior pictorial art-forms in the Late Nlycenae,the House of !rom Patisia, Athens Bronze Age, however, lie outside the scope of this series. r .lo.rt:IX 189

3. The Group with Crossed Hocks A. Late Almond-/Dot-Eyes (ca.1375 * 1350B.C.) 1. The Columbia Group 'l'lris group's most noticeable trait is the dash across the ankle, a (the Argolid, ca. 1400-1375 B. C.) ,.rilirrl reference to the lower end of the thickened upper foteleg as JGY, "A New Look at Bull-Leaping," Muse 17, 1983,72-80. ', l,r.r(ti:;('(l by its Almond-/Dot-Eye predecessors.The group also reflects This group continues the stocky body form, harsh shoulder, and dot- r1,, Slrt t'tacle-Eye Group's reduction of the head to a thick line support- eyesof its predecessors,but also seemsinfluenced by the more elongated rr11,1l;1 c'yc and nose (especially on IX 195, and the Munich and Berlin 'l'hc forms adopted by the Spectacle-EyeGroup at Knossos. The thin legs ., ,1,) Spectacle-Eye Group also seems to have developed the and somewhat self-conscious positioning of the bulls also seem to ,,'r!l)r,sition of two pairs of calves, each pair couchant antithetic but reflect the same tendencies seen in the Spectacie-EyeGroup, and to r( r,r(l;url, rrncl the two pairs upside-down to each other (VIII 90 and foreshadow the more mannered approach of the IS Group. l.rr ll\ls 139 l(.S 51Sl) to form a vzhirligig pattern ofthree or four rrrrrrr.rlr,,rrrsc's ir-rto ccr'rtcr in radial symmetry (see I{n HMs 255), a rrr,,rrl rrictl orrcc bcfirrc (l 11)4;Masters II:122, Misc. l,-J Lions). The l,r, ( ri r'r'orrP lrrl

which the IS Group exerted on the Mp Group (see below), whose earliestcontext-dates belong to III Aii. 5. The Central lsland SanctuariesGroup From Knossosthere come certainlyone sealing(HMs 255),probabJy another (HMs 353+660, unpublished),and possiblya third (HMs 259), \' 499 and 500, Melos Museum 571, and possibly XIII 126, were all impressed by sealsin the Rhodian l{unt Group, and possibly a fourth I'r,,lr.bly carved from a single block of limestone,as the vein-patterns ',r1,gcst; (HMs 297) impressed by a small cushion seal belonging to the central the Melos sealwas also apprently intended as a twin studv to IS Group. C)f these, HMs 255 and 259 depict thin, slender griffins \' 500. accompanied by their fledglings. On HMs 255 a famlIy of two adult St:rlstones of average size: 126 (19) and 175, both from Mycenae, 411 from Amorg.s, and two baby griffins attacks .rrrrl a stag which runs right, head contorted 491 from Crete; I Supp. 58 (20) from perati T. 11g? (tII Bii_Cr; V 221 (21) ftom tlr. as on CMS I Supp. 55 from Perati T. 1,28and as should be restored on Apollo Maleatas Sanctuary, and 499 (22) and 500 (23) both from the iemple at \vi,r-ltrni Melos Mus. 576. The lanky proportions of the Knossos griffins and (bo,th, III A-B); VII 250, and 251; tX 191 (24), and 14D; X 136, 158, trrl 299; l{II 241 from Crete?; XilI 12 (25) from the linear treatment clf their wings find parallels on other sealsin the Boiotia, 59 from Mycenae? (JLIS 'r(,. 1976,255), L26, and 3l); Melos Museum 571 (26) and 576 (22), lxxh fr.m Rhodian l{unt Group: I171 and 324 (compare thc also the exaggerated NlltcrracanSanctuarv at Phylakopi (IlI c dcveloped);and two unpublishedlentoids, ,,rrr'l'r'm currre of the griffin's body), and IX 200. In addition, the peaked chest Asine now in the Nafplion Museum and one from Aigina now in a p'vatc of the stag on I Supp. 55 and the Melos seal, produced by a cur V- , ,,llct.t ion Itrtrilttd shaped in section, is also founcl on HMs 255 from Knossos. sealings:I 317, 323,330, 355, 366, all from pybs (IlI Bii_Ci) sealstones:I 139 (28) from "r';rll Mycenae T. 513 (lII Bi), and 4g9 from crete; and The presencear Knossos of thesethree sealingsimpressed by Rhodian \ ('{)0 (29) from Mycenae, the House of the ldols (lII Bii). Soft srone seals:V 52g Hunt sealsand of a fourth impressed tr"rrr by an IS seal raises once again i\'[idea(III B); and Melos Museum 572 {t,tm the Mycenaean Santuary at the problem of dating rhe destruction of l{nossos that fired both l'lri l:rliopi(IlI C developed) ltt,tirt/rtl :ealitg: HMs 297 (KSPI K5) sealingsand tablets. Apart from the sealings iust cited from l{nossos, from Knossos the latest sealings there (and there are many) seem to belong to rhe Spectacle-EyeGroup (seeMastets/Groups V, Introduction), and would (again not including HMs 255 and its two possible companion pieces) 6. The Rhodian Hunt Group support Popham's date of LM III Ai end for the final destruction of I{nossos.8 ll,t llhrdian Hunt Group exaggeratesthe IS Group,s elongated Recently, Wolf-Dietrich Niemeiere has re-opened the question, em- i,,',1r,..;rrrtl tight modelling,often to such an extremethat they phasizing, among other matters, the similarities between the pylos and ^ppr^, 'rr rr,rrur:rllysvclte (e.g., the griffins onI1.71 and 324, and IX 20D) I{nossos tablets and the presenceof LM III B pottery, much of which ,r',1rrr t.'t'rted poses(e. g., I199, IX 20D, NMA 8794).Most of this was burnt. The presenceat Knossos of at least one Rhodian Hunt seal- r'r,'rrl!r, sr':rlsir.rc confidently executedin a dry style Iike those in the type and possibly others from the central IS Group and the Rhodian ,,.rr.rl (ir.up, lS though they exhibit some oddities that may be Hunt Subgroup supports a date later than LM III Ai end for a ',ir,,.\rrrr:rtit- r. tl-rissubgroup: the man's bull-head on I 171, the fire destruction at I{noss.s that destroyed the bureaucracy and the l,,rl,, llr,','rr V (156,the attackpose on VIII 150,the bird on IX 20D, production of art obiects. rl,, rr rr',r rr".s'l srlrgsorl I 3T9.Another group of sealsexhibits a rougher ,,",,1,llrrrr' :r.(l .vcn .clder compositions,the two most bizarrebeing rl,, l,rrll r'rllr .r-trl-rus,bird, and jug-lessgenius on VII 1,77,and the I r,l , 'rrrr r 1lirr1l.r''stlistr-rrbingly chaotic and viorent arranqement.f 'l'lrt I''.,i r*', 1'r()rpsarclinlugh b Popham, palace rl,, ir'.' r'l rl)( riilrr)(,l.trrlv lrlrrcanrl "'rhe Destruction of the at I(n.ss.s," SIMA 12, crzczcit 11,1992,29 126. ,,,'l lrr I ,t\ l..lt.:;:,1r:rirrlirrtl"). 64 G. Younger John Aegean scalsof the l-ate Bronze Age VI 65

While only V 656 definitely comes from Ialysos in Rhodes, the article "The Rhodian Hunt Group" cited above explores the possibiliry that C. The Mainland Popular Group four other sealsalso originated there. lt iY in Renfrew 1985: 282*3,290, and Chapter 7 passim, publishing thc sealstones Eatly: I 171 (30) from Mycenae (III B), and 199 from Asine; I Supp. 55 from Perati 'rrrntir:rned here in the Melos Museum. T. 128 (III Ci); V313 (31) from l)elos, the Artemisium deposit, 656 (32) from Ialysos '1.21, Ci), and 664 from Thebes, Megalo Kastelli ChT 1; VIII 150; IX 20D (33); Lilic popular GII the CP Group, the Mainland ()roup (hereafter, the N[ir AGDS II Berlin 25 (34); Naples Museum 1404 (cclrR pl. 139: Boardman links this 1'1r';rr[)) consists of seals made of soft stones carved in seal with VII 250, placed above in the lS Group); Pierpont Motgan Llbrary 1077 simple styies, irrrI tlc'l-rositedin humbie tombs. (Pini, JDI 95, 1980, 77-108, no. A5, ftg.4); a lentoid in the Bari Museum; and a 'l'lrcre cylindet in the Pierpont Morgan I-ibrary no. 1077 (JDI 95, 1980,71 -108, no. A5) are, however, major differences between the two groups. \\ lrlt Associatedsealings: I165 from Mycenae, House of the Shields (lll BD, a,nd 324,32(), the CP Group *ses serpentine, the Mp Group prefcrs th! softer and379, all from Pylos (III Bii-Ci); and two fragments of one sealing from Knossos slrinier 'rr,l steatite, especially in the dark crlors (brown, red-brc,rwn, tHlltl_?.Jj and another)10,and possibly I-IMs 259 (I{SPI C 15) also from linossos l,l rr 1,,lnd occasionally green, rarely pale Close; HMs 259/KSPI C15, and 3531660,both from Knossos green). I rl.r'the Late: VII 160 (35) said tb come from Calabria, 175,176, and 777 (36), all pethaps CP seals, almost all the MP seais are lentoids, but many, if ,,"r rl)()st, otiginally from Rhodes; and BM 97.4-1.4 (37) from Enkomi OT.2 (JDl 95, 1980, have a conical reverse (..g., v 337-347 whose profiles are 77 -108, no. C3) l\\'lr ()n 'll V pp. 61,6-7), tr^it that may have first occurred as a rr, ^ rrr'tlrcning clevice for glass seals (e. g., V 348-360, etc., in the 7. The Island SanctuatiesGroup: Miscellaneous !.r,,r11; Seals of the Goicl Box) before cha"actetlzlnq a few stone scals, l', r'rrrrrirr,gin the fifteenth A. Forerunners: century (".g., I66, 21,5,3g6, etc.), ancl ,,,rrnuing a, a closegrorp: V 184" 602 from N{ycenae(lII B), and 649; VIII 81; and CS 1P on to become common in the Spectacle-liye Group (c. g., b. miscellaneoas:V441 from Nichotia (LH III A2*B), and 649 from Crete; and a l\ "") ,nd V 255 whose conical reverses are illusrrated, V 1gg, and lentoid in a private collection in Rome. Soft Stone:YIII 81 1 "'. t tc.). The conical reverse on stofle sealsmay have been intended B. IS Circle, High Quality: I23 ftom Mycenae; I Supp 21 from Midea T.2 (III Bi r" I rr rlir;rrcsteady and frrm impressing; such a purpose seems plausible (III Aii: BSA 69, 1974,254)),39 from Perachora,and 118; AGDS I Munich 45; a i"r rlr. SPcctacie-Eye seals, but it is unlikely that Mp seals v/ere ever cylindet ln the Nicosia Museum from Phlamoudi; a cylinder in the lstanbul Archaeo- ,',r' rr,l,rl r. fu6c'1irr sphragisrically (in logical Museum no. 12 807 (JDI 95, i980, 77-108 no. A3); and a fluorite lentoid spite of rhe fact rhat a Few Mlr , rl. from Tiryns r't't' rrsed to impress sealings: e.g., 1354), in which case the Soft stone:Y249 frc>mArmenoi T. 19 (III Bi), possibly in the Main lS Gtoup ',,111,,11|( \,crsc may be only an evocative affectation. Atsociatedsealing: I Supp. 204 from Pylos (III Bii-C1) llrr .r't'rwlrclming majority of the Mp seals come f,rom chamber ,,rr C. IS Circle, Mediocre Quality: IY 264 from Sokarras, Crete; VII 184, and 252 "',1!' rlrc Mainland, especially in the late cemeteries like Medeon Small seals:Y 676 from Thebes, Kolonaki T.3; and IX 192 ',,' I rl', irr Ait.lia and rhessaly, occasionally also in the isiands, Subgroup 1 (The Chania Mus. Sigma 5 Group): lI 3,21,0ftom "Lyttos"; and Chznta ",t ' ,, rrll1' l.,clrhallenia and the Cyciades, Mus. Sigma 5 from Ayios Ioannes Chl Chania (III B) 1 but rarely from Crete (exccpr t, ,, rl,r C'/ote:130 from Mycenae, and 484 from Crete Lrlt r\ rntcnoi cemetery) or from the I)odecanese. rir"rr,lr l/aar: I Supp. 22 from Midea T 3 (III Bi) :r li'w N{P seals carry fairly naturalistic animals (placed in AssociatedSealing: I337 from Pylos (III Bii*Ci) (i.od 'rl','r"rrl,' l:rl,cllccl Quality), most display animais schcmatically ,r'1,r',1, D. IS Circle, Poor Quality: Lamia Mus. B8949, and a lentoid from Varkiza ' ,,tr':rsi''ally t, the point of reducing their bridv and ncck to Subgroup 2 (The PapouliaGroup): I Supp.29 (38) from ProsymnaT.33 (III Aii*R); , ,.lr i lrrrr. (t.. q.. I l(r9, V 323, VII 205), or they display geomerric V 311 from Papoulia; and CS 24P I r, ir Miscellaneau: V 659 from Ialvsos scvcnrl problcnts to thc nrorlcrn scholar. r0 is lhc' solicst matcrirl uscrl firr Pini, "Ein Siegelabdruck in Arch6ologischen Museum Iraklion," CrctCongIIl, scals in thc 221-230. orr tltt' N{olrs scrrlr')wc'lrrs rrrpitlly rrlrcl in rL 11 I am grateful to E. Karantzale for allowing me to scc a drawing of this seal and to ("\,(lr llrt rrrosl <':rttlirlly txt'r.rrlr.tl :rrrirrlrl lo :rrr mention it here in advanceof its publication. 'l'lrcrr'lort, ,rnl1' tlrr' lr:rrt sl ,tll( nll)l is lrr:trlt. lrt.rt. 66 John G. Younget Aegean sealsof the Late Bronze Age VI 67

to subgroupMP sealsstylistically; most insteadare grouped iconograph- lll. Animals ically, the animals first by the presenceor absenceof triangular notches ,'\. (iroups for their feet, then by Pose lype (PT; defined at the first occurrence I . I iarly types: V 280 (41) from Armenoi T. 6 (Ill Bii); VIII 84 (42) fron Crete?;and of the pose) and, where warranted, subdivided into Good (often :r lcntoid from ProsymnaT 8 (III Aii-B; Prosymnafig.587) euaiity l. 'fhc also meaning Well Preserved) and Miscellaneous. liotakou Group: V 150 (43) from Kokkolata (III B [-C]), 1,72from Kephalle- rir, 315 from Delos, 379 ftom Medeon T.29a, and 512 (44) from I(orakou; and X The schematicstyle has also led many scholarsto date theseseals to l/tand314 various periods, mostly very late. I{enna, for example, often considered i l)or C;roups the MP seal at least IIIB in date, if not IIIC (e. g., VII 200) or IIIC- r. V 337 from Medeon T. 29; and X 177 (45) Geometric (YII 204 and 205), as does Boardman (GGFR p" 62, figs. l' V 403 from Medeon T. 239 (III C) , . V 255 (46) from Atmenoi '1. 27 (I[ A), and 321 frcm Krissa T. (III 144-148), though the latter also includes ar leasr eight CP and two 3 C) I V 377 from Medeon T. 29 a, md 417 (47) from Medeon 7.264 (lI C) MP seals (pls. 195 and 197)in his category "End of the Bronze Age". V 726 (48) from Mega Monastiri T. Gamma (III A-B); and X 182 This tendency ". is understandablesince it is obvious from the late context li llulls datesthat the MP sealssurvived in use,probably as iewelry and charms, r. With hooves amongst the humble for a long time, long enough to have been a major lrr l)'l' 1A (standing,head normal) ( influenceon Geometric seals(GGFR ch. III). .r iood Quality: I Supp. 48 from Eleusis T. Theta-pi 4 Gn A), and 157; V 3 from 'fhe date for the group, however, \r1i112,159 from Kokkolata (IIl B [-U]), 227 fuom Oxylithos, Euboia (III Aii-B), is fairly clear from the earliest t'rlf * lrrom TanagraT. 13 (III A-B); and X186,and263 contexts:III Aii I 138, 157, and 211, andY 33, 746, 748, and 749; 1,. lvliscellaneous:IX 201; and X 175 III A - I Supp.48, and Y 255,394,395,575(l*IIIA), 618 (II*IiiA), lrr l''f 1C (standing, head up): I25 from Mycenae; and I Supp. 23 from the Argive 628, and 679; II Aii? - Y 445; III Aii-Bi - Y 249, 261, 2j7, 278, I r( |lcum 731,and734. The group, therefore,is contemporarywith the IS Group, ln l)'l'2 (standing,regatdant): .r (ioodQuality:VII204(49)fromKalymnos(IIIC1 orlater;lWalters,Catalogueof on whose linear but elegant style the MP's schematic but crude style t,r.tli Vasesin the British Museum No. A1015 (FM 21..28,FS 176.1)contained this depends.In addition, there are internal indications that the MP Group ,,,r1) evolved, like the IS Group, soon after the destructionof Knossos.MP I' N4iscellaneous:I138 from MycenaeT505 (III Aii); I Supp. 142 Y I from Aigina, sealswhich are styiistically early are placed in a separatesubgroup (MP 'l') Irrm Brauron T 19 (III B?),442 from Nichoria; VIII 99; lX 203 and 204 X 175, lri(1,lrf r(l 244; and AGDS I Munich Animal Group 1): the lentoid from Prosymna T. 8 carries a faidy 89 from Athens, the Olympieion lrr l'l'(r (running, regardant):V575 from Tiryns, Profitis Elias T. 19 A) realistic bull; 280 0-III V reflects the Dot-Eye bulls and VIII 84 reflects rhose l,t l''l'13 (standing,head under belly): V153 from Kokkolata (III B (-C)) with Mumps; and the two common types of brancheson MP sealsboth l,' l''l' l4A (standing,head under belly facing the hooves): Y 23 ftom Sklavi T.2 find immediate prototvpes amongst the l{nossos sealings:one, looking rlll ll) 1,, l''l like a ladder (e. g., on I31 andV 417),can be found on the Almond- :llJIl (two antithetic,regardant): V 151 from Kokkolata (III B (*C)) lrr l'l l()A (lion attacks Eye FIMs 253 bull from above):V 361 frr:m Medeon 29 (KSPI N1), and the other, looking like a vertical row of r \\ trlrout hooves V-shaped notches, can be found on the sealing HMs 298 (KSPI K9) rrr l''l li\: V186,258fromArmenoi'1.32(Iil Aii-B|, and746 fromNletaphio(III in the Armenoi Grouo. \rrr. \ l7(r; Melos Museum 569 and 573, both from the MycenaeanSanctuary at l'l'1| rl,r,1ri(lll C developed);and BSA Cast 189 l,' l''l llJ (strLnding,head down): XII 303 (publishedupside down) ftom Crete? l,l l'f l(.: I Supp. 24 frt .lmthe Argive Heraeum; and VII 200 I. Men r'' l'I II) (stancling,hcad back): I 169 (50) from Mycenae Group: I195 (39) ftom Midea; and V 11 from Aigina ,.1,, Ill7 liornlVlycenae;Y322from l{rissaT.3,and626 fromAitolia;andVII N{iscellaneous:142 (40) from Mycenae; V 189 ftom Salamis;ancl CS 40P .,''., Assoriatedseaiings: 7 356 and 369, both from Pylos (III Bii-Cl) 1,, l'l r': \ lll l. l'l I I (srrrrrtling,lrcrrtl tl,rrvlr lrttwccn firr.clcus):X 1ti7 Il. W ome n r,, l'l I I r\(il)S I NltrrritlrlJf.l II 4, 121 from linossos, the l(cphala T'hokrs t \ r'r trrrt:r/( iorrls ..l.rsaciutud (li) .wa/ia.q:L 321 futm Pylos (lll t3ii r \\ rtlr lr,'ovr',, Aegean sealsof rhe Latc l3ronze Age Vl 69 68 .John G. Younger

rr l)lrylrkopi (IIl c deveioped);a lentoid fiorn thc Nfycenar:anFountain on the Athens In FT 1A ,\' ri)'()lis Ct; l.{esperia8, 1939, 414, Ftg.99a); a lcntoid fiom Ayios Stephanos; a. Good \/339 and 340, both frorn Medeon T.29,401, (51) trom Medeon ittt Quality: rrr,lrr lcntoid in 'Iiibingcn 7.239 (I[ C), and 625 ftorn Marathia'fhoios 2 (lll B-q rr l)'l'5A: V 33 from Argos, Deiras 'f '24(ln Aii), and 228 tirm Chalkis b. Miscellaneous:V29 from Ar:gos, 158 from Iiokkolata (IlI B [-C]), and 338,341', lrr l)'l'(r: I29 ftom Myccnae; and162 fr-omI{okkoltta (l-}l ltl t3[-(]l) and344, all threc from MecleonT 29; IX 202;X1,63; anclAGDS I Nlunich 78 l'l .lfllJ:I398 from Athens; and V 5 from Aigina In P-I' 18: V 160 from I(okkoiata (IiB [-C]) tr, t''l' 34B (two, with bocliesparallel, bellv to bclly): I I57 fronr Myccnae'f.523 ln PT 1C: X 178; and AGDS ll Berlin 60 said to be ftorn Athens rlll Aii) In PT 1D: V 402 ftom Medeon T. 239 (lll C) trr l,'l 37B (three quadrupedsin radial s'.mmctfv): I47 l'rorn N{yccnrc [-..! InPT2 lrr l''l' 39A: X 184 a. Good V 378 (52) from Medeon T. 29a Quality: I rrlirrrrrunPT:1296 from Pylos (III Bii-Ci); I Supp. 1 frorn Myccnac,thc Oyclopeatt b. Miscellaneous:I295 from Kokevi, Pylos (IlI C); I Supp. 14 lrom Mvcenae,and ll,,,los, and 51 from Glyphada, Alyki T. Delta; V 168 from Kokl

fi. ('65; Quadtuperls llr, \l.rlirrrrs l)hylakopi Group (see Agtimi 13,I']T 1A, b, above): X 192b a' ln PT'1: i 32, 38, 39, ancl 178 all fout from Mycenae, and 400 liom Athens; I Supp. rrr r,tntcrctl CIiclcs, Crctan Group, below); Mekrs Museum 578b from the 4 from Mvcenae'L 1-52,40, 154, and 156; V30 from Argos,324 ftom I{tissa T. 1 11,,,,1 ,l ,, r.rLrrrrSrrnclu:Lry at Phvlzkopi (IiI C developed),and another rectangularPl2ie (trIi B) and 325 also from Krissa, 425 {rom Lefkandi, 510 (57) from Zygouries T.33 , rl i{r(r)lr.rr thc Apollr MelcatasSanctuxry (AR 1977-8 fig' 49 right) (III B), 615 from Olyrnpia T. A (IIl B*C), 670 from Thebes (III B)' 734 and 740 ,l' ,,ll.rrrr',rrrs:I 2lI from I)rosyrnnall 11 (Ill AiD from I\{ega l\lonastiri Ts. Delta and Epsilon, respectively (both IIi Aii-B); CS 42P; HM 5(r from Knossos (AtchEph 1907 pl. 7.70; CS p.66, fig. i41); and a lentoid rn l, l),r|r,rll\'(' (li), Vlil0i; Tiibinqcn , I rIrrrr li',lriIltls: \/ 155 l"r"onl h,rlili,rlrtrr (lli li | 574 1tt'6'fjrvns; V4 In PT2: 122, 174 and 178, all three from Mycenae;I Supp. 15 from Mycenae; ,',1 I lll lll lt,rttr l{lrorlts from 42 from Lerna, 161 from Kokkolata (ItI B [-C])' 187, 261 fr<:m -t\isina, l: I , rrr, ri rl ( tr'( l(5 Armenoi T.34 (III Aii-BD, 310 from Pylos T. Fl9 (lll B?), 323 tuom l{rissa T' 2 (ir,rrrp, Nli:rt., \r i/() in ltll(lrt.il llt.ril,lrtry, lirrrltt l,,,tlr T. 3 (lll C)' 610 ll ,, \ llli rrr ll.r,rllt., (III C), 345 from NlecleonT.29,443 from Nichoria, 606 from Naxos a Slrir'lrls' rrll r t , .,,,,1 \ li{/ irr llrrll" I}, l''l I l; :rrr,l \i rl I rrrr'l \lll llt irr l'tt'rrtt fronr C)lympia T Sigma tau (Ill B), 622 fuom Seremeti(lll {.), and (r31; A(ll)S I 1,,, r1,,,\, ) NIrLnich77.:intl 83 fiom (lrctc; MeJos N{uscum575 trorn tlrc MyccnrtcatrSrtnctttarv Aegean sealsof the Latc Bronze Age VI 7l 70 John G. Younger

\lt tlcon T. 239 (IIIC), and 628 from I{ato Goumenitsa (III Ai-ii) Branch Gtoup: V 152 from Kokkolata (iII B [-C]); X 193 (67); and CS 194 Backgtound lines t l,rsc:X204 S-Division Group: I Supp. 46 from Perachoru II 3.127 from Tylissos; X 196 (68); I llranches and CS 197 from Athcns lr,,rlcred Group: V 397 (75) from Nledeon T. 131 (tII C latc), and 679 ftom Thebes, Miscellaneaas:734and 173, both from Mycenae, 354 ftom Pylos (lll ts ii-(D and 402 l'.,,lonalnr '!r,, rrr)n()j,,1;ll)l)i( strl,1,,t,)ul),:rt)(l (()tts((ltl(!)lly u.'ttt tillrt'l-ttl:ttlt llrttt I

72 John G. Younger Aegean sealsof the Late Bronze Age VI /J

or, less likely,..imported as a group; the seals fr,m the Mainiand are f )irnrond: V388 (83) and 389, both from lVledeon'l.29a,and 744 from pteleon lconographrcarly more diverse, and it is therefore more likely for most I lltched Cross of thesefluorite sealsto ( ;r()Lrp(some have been made there. The geographical spread very small: M22, D. 0.67; and HX.{2067, D. 0.7) of the sealsand the fact that, c>fthe 29 f'.rm the Mainland: V375 from Medeon T.29, from Mega Monastiri Tl with specific find-spots kn'wn, 'nd739 27 corne l1'silon (lll Aii-B) from tombs and onry rwo from the biktaian cavi 1t'e-seai l'r.m Crete: lV 221 from Mallia, and 222 from Tsoutsouros (pini, 29, 1991, 4.21,5 fuom Palaikastro may also JRGZM have come from a burial (BSA' ',1, nos. 17 and 18, respectively);XII 147 from Crete?;CS 360?,361from the Diktaian 1939-40, p.43)) make it likely, therefore,that the Fluorite Group was ,,rvc, and 362 ftom the Ayia PelegiaTholos (Pini, JRGZM 28, 1,981,58no.61); II made spec_ificaily '1.59 for burial and may simply h^". ir;;;-;;ilJitrro_ from the Diktaian cave,217 tiom Palaikastro; HM 2067 from Galia T. B (IIl B; l'irri, place to place for that purpose; none was JRGZM 28, 1,981,62, no. 79), 2179, 21,80,and 2182, all three from Olous; and us.d ,o l_pr.l.u ,fr" trvr LH III B and C clay sealings. "rry "f lentoids from Knossos, the Minoan Unexplored Mansion (popham et al., Minoan I lncxploredMansion pls. 188a and b) !?hile the Fluorite Group accounrs for most of the fluorite seals ,'lli.vel/aneous:I 28 from Mycenae; Y 271, from Armenoi '1.54, 2j7 from Armenoi T. known, there are several oiher searstonesof fluorite which do nor ',') (lII Aii-Bi), 374 from Medeon 7.29, 41,2from Medeon T. 23() (II C), and 735 ,.-l*_9-t"yp, but are Minoan Ir()m Mega Monastiri T. Delta (III Aii-B); and X 208 P-*-"* and earlier; e. g., It t.+:Z _-". trom an EM III-MM II lirkted: I Supp. 140b (140a is grouped in Spectacle-EyeA. Subgroup 1, Close c) context at Tr^pez ,II 2.65 ancl 6g from the profitis L. MiscellaneousDesigns: V 171 from Kephallenia, Lakkithra T. Gamma (III C), and MM cemetery on Elias i

C. Two Branches: V 163 from Kokkolata ,t_. (In B I_Cl), 217 from Brauton 13 (llI B), 229 ftom Euboia, 373 ftomMecleon f. ZO; J"a a lentoirl in Tiibinsen I). Ceomerric Desiqns Rosette: \r 737 from Mega N{onastiri T. Delra (iII Air_ts)

12 Berts,in M. R. popham, et al., The Minoan UnexploreciMansion, 191, no. N,135.